Fatal Remedy
by Leopardheart-Naux-Kadaj
Summary: Roxas wants to escape the clutches of the war; Axel wants to escape the mindset that he's a monster. Both just want feel something more. Can they be each other's cure? AU R&R please


**The Fatal Remedy**

**A/N: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, no matter how much I wish I did. Square Enix and Disney do. I own nothing except the plot. This is very AU; this is set during the American Civil War. And that's all I'll let you know of so no spoilers. Your thoughts are appreciated, your flames are not. Enjoy!**

**Rating: T **

**Warning: Blood, domestic abuse and that's it for the first chapter. Oh, and Marluxia being creepy. As per usual.**

**Pairing: None... **_**yet.**_

**Summary: Roxas wants to escape the clutches of the war. Axel wants to escape the mindset of being a monster. Both seek to just feel. Can they cure each other? AU**

Savior and Master

A young teenage boy, sixteen years of age, stalked down the streets, with anger rolling off of him in waves. The few people on the streets gazed at the furious boy with sorrowful eyes, covering their mouths with their hands and shaking their heads as they saw the droplets of blood trickle down his back, cascading over smooth, pale skin. The teenager didn't notice them, nor did he care enough to try-they were simply blurs and shadows on the edges of his vision. His tear-filled eyes were pinpointed on a section of woodland as he hurried toward them, his mind focused on the events of the past hour.

_"I've signed you up for the draft," his father told him. His tone was non-chalant, his eyes dulled._

_The teenager's eyes widened, shocked and disbelieving, as he jumped out of his chair at the kitchen table. "How could you, Father?" he demanded. _

_"What do ya mean, how could I?" his father asked. _

_"We already lost my brother, Sora! Do you need to lose both sons in this bloody war before you can understand that it's pointless and we're wrong?" the blonde-haired teenager snapped at his father. _

_"Sora was a traitor to us! He's better off dead!" _

_The blue-eyed teenager resisted the almost-overwhelming urge to grab and break the bottle of liquor in his father's right hand. The sickening alcohol made him say horrid things, and the  
>Southern couldn't stand it when he drank. Drank away the pain of losing his wife and then his first-born son. Drank away his life, and pushed his other son away. <em>

_"Sora knew what was right! Something that you don't understand!" _

_His father stood and towered over his son, not exactly stable. "Don't test me, boy,"-No his father could not even call him by his name of Roxas-"Your brother was just chasin' after his friend, who we all know wasn't the brightest."_

_"You're an imbecile if you think Sora and Riku were following the wrong path. They weren't the brightest, but they know it was wrong to keep people as slaves. You're a wretched excuse for a father, drunk and uncaring." The blonde, blue-eyed teenager needed that off his chest._

_The beating ensued was harsh, fierce and unmerciful. His father had been right-Roxas should not have tested him while so intoxicated. His father's fist connected solidly with his lower jaw with such a force that the smaller, lighter male was sprawling to the floor. Before Roxas could protect himself or attempt to defend himself, his father grabbed the whip from beside the back door and brought it down onto his son. The rough, thin tore his clothes and scored Roxas's soft flesh. Roxas let out a semi-softened pained howl, biting into his arm to quiet himself, as the black whip cut through his thin cotton shirt and into the skin of his side and back again. _

_It was like Roxas's father was deaf when in actuality he was too drunk and too furious to care as he sent his son into spasms of pain and released anguished screams of misery as he he whipped him a third, fourth, fifth time. When he believed Roxas had learned his lesson, his father dropped the blood-flecked whip and left his son on the floor, tear and blood-stained, broken inside and out. Roxas's father headed to the bar in an attempt that when the guilt set in, he could drink it away along with the shrieks of pain that tore from Roxas's throat and the images of his beaten son. _

_Just like he did every other time Roxas and him had every gotten into a fight and it resulted like this. Roxas's father would drink himself unconcious, or sometimes he would go to stare at the provocatively-dressed women, even sometimes sleeping with one of the tipsy prostitutes. Roxas didn't care-he was just glad to be rid of his father's prescence. _

Roxas had breeched the woods as he shook his head to get rid of the memories. This time, however, his father would come home to the house being empty late at night. Roxas was done; he'd been beat for the last time. He staggered between the tall dark trees, the blood-loss taking its toll and making him light-headed. The sixteen-year-old collapsed against a tree, sliding down its rough trunk.

_If I'm to die, take me now_, Roxas prayed, slumped against the tree.

Something, he couldn't tell _what_ exactly, stalked toward him. He could make out a lithe, lean shape, steathily slinking in and out of his line of vision and trying to keep track of it made his already fuzzy head spin. Before he could stop the onslaught of scared thoughts, he realized that his fear-scent was going to mix with his blood-scent, and he was weary so he made very weak, very easy prey.

"Don't be afraid," a chilling male voice whispered in his left ear, making him involuntarily shudder as an electric shiver ran down his spine.

Roxas screwed his eyes shut, as if this were some kind of nightmare he could will away and awaken from. When he opened them again, a predator's evil, glinting dark eyes boring into his own. Roxas couldn't help but hyperventilate, his breathing quick and shallow. The lips of the man that kept him pinned not by any physical means, but by fear alone turned up into a demonic, wicked smile, making him more threatening than before. The blonde couldn't even take note that the predator had a very strange pale pink hair color, for he was too focused on the lengthened, pointed canines that glistened in the moonlight.

"Don't be afraid," the pink-haired yet fearsome foe repeated, cruel and soothing at the same time. "Your blood sings to be spilt, and your soul for death. I can give you the gift of everlasting darkness."

Roxas weakly tried to protest as the predator that hungered for his blood unbuttoned his shirt a couple times so he could find the best place on his throat or neck.

Right as Roxas squeezed his eyes shut, prepared to face his inevitable death, and he felt the man's teeth lightly the prick the skin on the skin of his neck, a sharp command sounded from above their heads. "Marluxia!"

The pink-haired killer let out a quiet, but audible growl, curling his lip at the speaker. He narrowed his dark blue, cat-like eyes at the overhead interrupter as he pulled away from Roxas.

"What do you need, Axel?" Marluxia growled, impatience clear in his voice.

"It is not Roxas's time to die," the tall male said firmly, shoving Marluxia away from the young blonde and boldly shielding his smaller body with his own.

The dark-eyed predator chuckled softly. "I'll take pleasure in the Superior's expression and your punishment when he discovers you protected a human at the next meeting."

Axel bared his fangs, which Roxas couldn't see him reveal. "Silence, Marluxia. When Xemnas finds out tonight-so be it. I will handle him then."

"I'll be anticipating it," Marluxia sneered before swiftly taking off into the darkness.

Axel turned to face Roxas, who looked confused and barely concious. To Axel's dislike, he had to remove Roxas's blood-stained shirt to survey the damage on his side and back. A quiet, strength-less noise of discomfort and protest sounded from the blonde.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Roxas," Axel reassured before tearing off Roxas's sleeve and fashioning it into a tourniquet for the worst of the whippings.

"How-how do you know my name?" It occured to Roxas that it was strange that this tall stranger knew his name.

"I used to live in your town; you are the farmer's son, you are well known. Now hush and conserve your energy for the trip to the Castle," Axel explained, only confusing Roxas more.

Before he could question Axel any further, the stronger, taller male hoisted him to his feet and was steering him deeper into the woods. Roxas tried repeatedly to stop abruptly and demand information, but Axel would just continue to tug him along, supporting him for he was weak until he found a place he felt was appropriate to stop at.

"What is going on?" Roxas demanded.

"Do you know what we are?" Axel inquired, ignoring the younger boy's question.

A word flashed, echoed across Roxas's mind but he pushed it away. Those were only creatures of myths, pure fantasy, and legends! Yet, how could he ignore the cat-like slits in Axel's alluring, toxic green eyes or the unearthly handsomeness of his face and figure, or, the most prominent and revealing feature, his sharp, pointed canines? Of course he couldn't. The word danced on the edge of his lips, but it was stuck in his mouth, unable to be spoken.

"You're... vampires, aren't you?" Roxas felt foolish with his soft-spoken, half-confident answer.

Axel gave a faint nod. "That we are. But now that you know, and Marluxia's bound to tell the Superior of my actions... you must come to the Castle."

Roxas felt a shiver run down his spine again. He gulped. "Th-the castle?"

"Yes, The Castle That Never Was," Axel explained briefly. "Where we live."

Roxas couldn't help the fear that mounted in his chest, making his heart hammer in his chest so loudly and rapidly, he was positive Axel could hear it. "We" entailed for other vampires. At least two more-Marluxia and the Superior-and any more that might live there. He was just a teenaged human, weaponless and injured, no match for any vampire that may try and attack him. Walking with Axel into his castle was like walking straight into death's embrace.

Axel must've read his thoughts, or seen his fear displayed in his sapphire-blue eyes, for he reached over and grasped his hand. "It will be fine. They can't touch you without the Superior's permission, and he abides by a Code."

Roxas felt the comforted by the red-headed vampires words and the soothing touch of hs leather-gloved hand in his own bare one. Yet he felt a nagging sense of unease as Axel led him through the shadowy woods. As the trees seemed to press in on the pair, Roxas unknowingly gripped Axel's hand tightly, their fingers locked in their intertwined state. Deeper and deeper, the tall handsome male led the nervous young man into the woods before entering a pitch-black cavern without a second thought.

Roxas's heartbeat that had finally returned to normal sped up again and he instinctively clung to Axel. Roxas couldn't see a damned thing in the inky darkness and it was ice-cold underground and he had no shirt because the ripped pieces of it had been used to make a bandage for his whipping wounds. Axel allowed the smaller boy to cling to him for warmth and comfort, thinking nothing of it and even smirking slightly when he glanced down at the blonde.

Roxas couldn't tell how many minutes they spent travelling along that black, damp corridor but he was relieved to come out into a large, open room. It was painted in shades of gray-from the dark, stone walls to the elegant couches and marble floors. It was a foyer of the castle-and despite there was no royalty to live there, a castle was the only appropriate name for the place. Feeling relaxed, Roxas let go of Axel's hand.

Out of the edges of the domain, ten lithe shadowy figures stalked into the room, the eleventh entering through a door opposite of Axel and Roxas. Roxas sought the comfort of the mildly friendly vampire's hand, but Axel eyes were trained on the amber-eyed man who'd entered through the door, his hands behind his back. By the way the gray-haired man carried himself and from the way the others in the room gazed at him, Roxas assumed he was Xemnas, the Superior.

Xemnas took his seat on the throne that sat on the far wall and the ten vampires took their seats on the couch-or more accurately, four of them sat, and the other six knelt at their booted feet. All eyes were trained on the Superior, the vampires stoic and emotionless, while Roxas's deep blue eyes were blatantly expressing his unease. He glanced at Axel's face, hoping vainly to see something to settle his mind but was disappointed to see absolutely nothing.

"Axel," Xemnas began. Axel took a small step forward. "Marluxia has informed me that you prevented him from biting a boy named... Roxas, was it? Care to explain your motives?"

The question, Axel knew, was not a question at all. Xemnas _was_ the Superior, so all of his requests were demands, and had no choice but to be answered.

"Yes, his name is Roxas. I saved him because I know he doesn't deserve to die yet. He's young and capable, a full life ahead of him." Axel's answer rang loud and clear, not a single waver, though this answer could've been led him to be slain.

A cruel sort of interest gleamed in Xemnas's amber eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Axel replied.

"And you are aware of what must be done now that you have exposed him to our kind, brought him to the domain of Organization XIII?"

The slightest hesitation. "Yes."

Was that a hint of regret in Axel's voice? Roxas could only wonder.

"Roxas." The Superior was speaking directly to the Southern blonde now. "Due to the... kind nature of Axel, he has brought you here. You now belong to him. You are his slave and you must follow all orders from him. Understood?"

An evil smile adorned Xemnas's lips as he told Roxas this and he bared his teeth slightly, almost making Roxas wince. The blue-eyed teenager nodded meekly, while inside, Roxas was depressed at the prospect of his new life.

"Good," Xemnas chuckled. "You are dismissed."

The vampires stood gracefully before melting into the shadows at the corners of the room to leave to their respective rooms.

"Take your slave to your room, Axel," Xemnas added to the spiky-haired ginger before turning and entering his chamber.

With the Superior's back turned, Roxas cringed at his new nickname, his new purpose. A slave, _Axel's slave. _

"C'mon, Roxas," Axel muttered, tugging Roxas slightly by his thin wrist.

The pair were about halfway down the dimly lit corridor when Axel heard footsteps, so he paused. The footsteps stopped so the vampire continued leading Roxas down the hallway.

"Watch your back," a chilling male voice taunted softly in Axel's ear. Marluxia. "Keep a watch on your little slave, too, because if you let your guard down, _he's mine. His blood is mine."_

Axel whipped around, one arm protectively around Roxas and snarled at the pink-haired predator, baring his fangs threateningly. "Get away from me, Marluxia," Axel growled darkly, his luminescent green eyes reflecting the firelight that lined the hallways.

Marluxia smirked and quietly chuckled, his leather-gloved hand partially covering his wicked smile. He slunk back into the shadows and proceeded to his room.

The tall, handsome vampire turned around, his right arm still around Roxas in a tight, protective hold. Roxas had too many emotions flying around in a flurry in his mind: anger at being kept as a lowly slave; depression at the possibility of never seeing his friends or father again; fear at quartering with twelve vampires, and one with a particular drive for vengance and a thirst for his blood; relief that Axel would protect him as well as he could; curiosity as to why Axel cared enough to rescue him from Marluxia's clutches and keep him alive.

All of it left him speechless-exhaustion would also be a factor-as Axel led Roxas wordlessly down the corridor into his dark room.

**Whoa, my first attempt at a super AU story. I mean, Just Another Player is only slightly AU since they're still Nobodies. Anyway, reviews are super appreciated, thank you. 3 reviews and I will update, I promise! And any suggestions for pairings and the like, go ahead.**

**Love,**

**Leopardheart-****Naux-Kadaj**


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